Why do coworking spaces make sense for start-ups?

How would you define a coworking space?

We’ll present to you our version, a marketing specialist, IT developer, and consultant walk in a cafeteria. And now the cafeteria is a coworking space. And even if the concept it may sound new to some, we can date its origin back in 1995, in Berlin, Germany, when a hacker and 17 computer engineers joined the same space to exchange ideas and codes.

If you fast forward to 2019, we find out that there were 19,000 coworking spaces worldwide. Statista reports that they expect the number to grow and by 2025 to around 26,000. Both freelancers and corporations find the idea of flexible workspaces engaging because they encourage specialists from various domains to collaborate and come up with innovations.

GCUC states that there are over 3 million co-workers at present, and they predict the number to double by 2022. 60% of the people working in a shared space are younger than 40, and with millennials being the future workforce, it’s expected the need for communal work environments to grow.

But why do start-ups need to create coworking spaces?

They can attract and retain talent

Your business’ office is the clue to your stature, financial growth, and work philosophy. When candidates come for an interview, they check the working environment looking for personal touches and glimpses of how the employees socialize. There’s a reason why popular brands worldwide are promoting the idea of operating in celebrated homes. They transform the office space in a place that reflects brand values.

As a start-up, you try to attract talented candidates. But the thing with millennial candidates is that they apply only for the companies that share their same values. So, the working environment influences their decision because it impacts their productivity and mental health. They want to work for an organization that provides an appealing and comfortable office because they spend the majority of their time at work. And they won’t get that impression if your employees are working at isolated cubicles that prevent communication and collaboration.

Coworking spaces improve motivation and happiness, teach employees new skills, and improve networking opportunities.

They encourage team-building

Team-building is essential for all companies, regardless of their size and area of expertise because it boosts productivity. But it can be challenging to encourage team-building in an environment where people from various domains work because they have different approaches and values. However, if you create a supportive environment, you can support team success.

When you want to build a fruitful company or foster dynamic relationships between your staff, there’s no better way to do it than creating a workspace where people can socialize and share their ideas.

Millennials find it challenging to bond with other people when they spend most of their time working. But you can facilitate socialization, and help employees become friends inside and outside the office. Any opportunity to improve your workers’ social lives, you should take it because socialization provides holistic benefits, and happy employees are productive employees.

They instill punctuality and accountability

You want your staff to be punctual, productive, and effective, and the workspace profoundly impacts all of the above. If you are fond of people being punctual and accountable, then seriously consider building an organized workspace. People need more than a coworking environment; they need a comfortable, warm, and relaxing space where they can work at their peace. Your job doesn’t stop at renting an ample space where to install desks, chairs, and couches. You need to provide air conditioning, heat, cafeteria products, and free water. Collaborating with companies that offer boiler rental in the NYC area can support your efforts to create a productive workplace for your staff.

You are working in a world where organizations promote the idea people don’t have to meet in person to bring their ideas together. But for a start-up is better to nurture network connectivity to avoid issues and ensure everyone is at the same pace.

Coworking spaces also solve accountability problems because people will no longer have to wonder if they’re colleagues are available for a conversation. When you open the Skype or Google Chat window, most of your connections have a yellow-orange idle or busy icon. So, you hesitate to write them because you don’t know if they’ll reply to you or not. Are they in a meeting? Are they at their office?

But with everyone working in the same room, there are no such issues as lower productivity and accountability because everyone can track everyone.

Don’t forget that your team is made of people with different interests and hobbies, and bringing them in the same place encourages them to know each other and support each other in their working efforts.

Working in the same office as your employees also allows you to check on them and make sure they pursue their tasks because people can easily get distracted.

These spaces work as hubs of talent

The best way to build a successful company is to hire talented people who share your view. But it takes more than a bunch of experts to develop a cutting-edge product or service. You need all these pros to work together and brainstorm their ideas to deliver something the market needs and is willing to buy.

A shared environment works like an area where specialists surround themselves with other pros. You can compare them with nomads. Give them laptops and an ample space where they can work, and you’ll put together a team of digital nomads who collaborate to create something unique. Don’t forget that they all come from different backgrounds, so they need adjustment time to learn how to work together. But if you isolate them in separate rooms, they’ll never learn to work as a team. A shared ambiance can solve this problem and encourage their creativity. To put this idea in simple terms, the only way your start-up will reach the same success corporations have is creating an ambiance that supports team-work and creativity.

Do you think the coworking space is just a trend, millennials like or is it here to last?

 

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